Road-grader.



c. M. BROWN & E. w. PATRICK.

ROAD GRADER.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 25. 1916.

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(imam 0 w. 1MB r0 wn and Patented Sept. 12

C. M. BROWN & E. W. PATRICK. ROAD GRADER.

' APPLICATION FILED MAY 25, I916. 1,1 98,320. Patented Sept. 12, 1916.

3 SHEETSSHEET 2.

aMBro wn and ,Z'. WPaZ'niCfi UNITED STATES PATENT OFFIC CHARLES M. BROWN AND EDGAR W. PATRICK, OF MECHANICSBURG, OHIO.

ROAD-GRADEB.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Sept 12, 1916 Application filed May 25, 1916. Serial No. 99,849.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, CHARLES M. BROWN and EDGAR WV. PATRICK, citizens of the United States, residing at Mechanicsburg, in the county of Champaign and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Road-Graders; and we do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

Our invention is an improved road grading machine having for its main object to effectively grade a roadway and float the same to any desired crown without draw ing the worn out material from the sides of the road to the center thereof.

A further object is to provide simple and efficient means for mounting and adjusting the frame of the machine to permit the grading blades to be properly disposed, the frame itself being of rather unique construction.

With the foregoing general objects in view, the invention resides in certain novel features of construction and in unique combinations of parts to be hereinafter fully described and claimed, the descriptive matter being supplemented by the accompanying drawings which constitute a part of this application and in which:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of a grading machine constructed in accordance with our invention; Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section taken on the plane indicated by the line 2-2 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a vertical transverse section on the planes designated by the line 3-3 of Fig. 1; Fig. 4- is a detail longitudinal section taken on the plane of the line 1-4 of Fig. 1; Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic rear elevation showing the relation of the grading blades.

In specifically describing the construction shown in the drawings above briefly described, similar characters will be placed on corresponding parts throughout the several views and reference will be herein made to the numerous elements by their respective indices. To this end, the numeral 1 designates the main frame of the machine, said frame consisting of a central beam 2 formed of angle iron or the like, a pair of rearwardly diverging side bars 3 secured at their front ends to the front end of said beam, a transverse bar 4 to which the rear ends of the beam 2 and side bars 3 are secured, and additional transverse bars 1 whose ends are secured to the beam 2 and bars 3. One or more plates 5 are secured to and rise from the front end of the \l-shaped frame 1, said plates being received between the two halves of a sectional lever 6, which lever is pivoted to said plates as indicated at 7 The front end of the lever 6 is secured to a dirigible front truck 8.

For raising and lowering the rear end of lever 6 to adjust the front end of the frame 1 vertically, any preferred means may be provided. In the present embodiment of the invention a pair of standards 9 rise from the front end portion of the beam 2 and serve as a support for an angular lever 10 which is fulcrumed between its ends to the upper ends of said standards, the rear end of said lever being connected by one or more links 11 with the rear end of lever 6, while a cable 12 is secured to the front end of said lever 10. The cable 12 passes around a pulley13 mounted between the two halves of the lever (3, extends rearwardly around a second pulley 14 carried by the frame 1 and is wound upon a drum 15 which is provided with a hand wheel 16 and a foot controlled locking mechanism 17.

A pair of drawbars 18 are pivoted at their front ends to the frame 1 adjacent the front end thereof, the rear ends of said bars being secured to an axle 19 having supporting wheels 20 on its opposite ends, such wheels being preferably received between the side bars 3 and beam 2 as shown clearly in Fig. 1. Ears or the like :21 rise from the center of the axle 19 and serve as supports for a longitudinally disposed lever 22, the fulcrum of this lever being disposed adjacent the rear end thereof, which end is connected by one or more links 23 with the frame 1 at a suitable point adjacent the rear end thereof. The front end of the lever 22 carries a sheave 24 which cooperates with a pulley 25 and cable 26 in forming a block and tackle arrangement for rocking the lever 22 to raise the frame 1. The free end of the cable 26 is wound on a drum 27 which is provided with a hand wheel 28 and with a foot released lock mechanism 29.

The two drums 15 and 27 are both mounted rotatably on a transverse shaft 80 revolubly mounted in a bearing bracket 31 which rises from the beam 2, said shaft having worms 32 at its ends for apurpose to appear and being provided with a hand wheel by means of which it may be rotated to drive said worms. The three wheels 16, and are all disposed within easy reach of the operator of the machine who will stand upon a suitable platform carried by the frame, this platform being eliminated for illustrative purposes.

A pair of rearwardly diverging supplemental frames 3f are hinged at to the side bars of frame 1, said supplemental frames being preferably of rectangular construction as shown and including parallel side bars 36 between which transverse bars 37 extend at suitably spaced intervals. Links 38 are pivoted to and rise from the outer side bars of the frames 34, said links having their upper ends pivoted to the outer ends of crank arms 89 which are secured to and project outwardly from rock shafts 40 extending longitudinally of the machine and mounted in appropriate bearing brackets 41. form gears 42 are secured on the shaft 40 and mesh with the worms 32 whereby rotation of the latter through the instrumentality of the hand wheel 33 will rock the shafts i0 to raise or lower the supplemental frames 34: as occasion may de mand.

Carried at suitably spaced intervals by the supplemental frames 3d and having laterally extending cars 43 secured to the transverse bars 37 thereof, are a plurality of angle metal rings let, these rings being L- shaped in transverse section as shown clearly in Fig. at. Other rings .5 which are inverted L-shaped. in cross section rest slidably on the rings H. but are normally held against movement by bolts, pins or the like 46 which are adapted for engagement with series of spaced openings d7 with which the rings H- are provided. Castings or other suitable brackets 4-8 are secured to and depend from the rings 45, grading blades 49 being rigidly secured to said brackets.

Due to the rearwardly diverging relation of the frames 34., the two series of blades 4:9 will likewise diverge rearwardly but the blades of the two series converge rearwardly as shown clearly in Fig. 1, their angular positions being controlled at will through the instrumentality of the bolts 46 and openings 4:7. The utility of this arrangement is that the foremost blades will grade the material. adjacent the center of the roadway and will draw such material inwardly to the crown of the road while the remaining blades although acting in a similar manner, will not move the earth worked thereby inwardly to the center of the highway. This is highly advantageous since it insures that the worn out material at the sides of the road will not be deposited in the center thereof. By proper adjustments of the wheels 16, 2S and 33, the blades d9 may e caused to operate on level surfaces or upon roadways having considerable pitch from their crown to their edges. Furthermore, by making proper adjustments a road may be floated to any desired crown.

Fig. 5 indicates the arrangement of the blades 19 in rear elevation when grading a level surface but it will be obvious that when the rear end of the frame 1 is lowered, the rearmost of said blades will move downwardly a corresponding amount to permit engagement thereof with an arched surface.

From the foregoing, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, the construction, manner of operation and advantages of the improved machine will be readily understood without requiring a more extended explanation. lVe wish to state, however, that although certain specific details of construction have been shown and described for accomplishing probably the best results, numerous changes may be made within the scope of the invention as claimed without sacrificing the salient features thereof.

WV e claim:

1. A road grader comprising a main frame, a pair of rearwardly diverging sup-- plemental frames hinged to opposite sides thereof for vertical adjustment, means for holding said supplemental frames in ad justed position, and rearwardly diverging series of scraping blades carried by said supplemental frames, one series being mounted on each frame and the blades of the two series being disposed in rearwardly converging relation.

2. A road grader comprising a main frame, a pair of supplemental rearwardly diverging frames hinged to opposite sides of said main frame for vertical adjustment, said supplemental frames including parallel side bars and transverse bars extending therebetween, metallic rings spaced 'apart and secured to said supplemental frames, and grading blades having attaching means adjustably supported by said rings.

'3. A road grader comprising a frame carrying scraping blades, a wheel supported axle extending transversely of said frame, a longitudinally disposed lever fulcrumed on said axle, means connecting one end of said lever with the frame, a block and tackle mechanism. connected with the other end of said lever, and a drum mounted rotatably on the frame for winding the cable of said mechanism; in combination with means for supporting the front end of the frame.

4. A. road grading machine comprising a main portable frame having independent means for adjusting its front and rear ends vertically, said means including a pair of cables and a pair of drums upon which said cables are Wound, a pair of supplemental frames hinged to the opposite sides of the main frame, grading blades carried by said supplemental frames, rock shafts mounted on said main frame and having crank arms connected with the supplemental frames, WOlm gears secured on said rock shafts, and

a single rotatable shaft having Worms on its opposite ends engaging said worm gears,

10 said shaft being mounted on the main frame and serving as the axis of the aforesaid drums.

In testimony whereof We have hereunto set our hands in presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

CHARLES M. BROWN. EDGAR W. PATRICK. Witnesses:

JOHN GEHRLICH, B. F. DIXON.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

- Washington, I). 0. 

